CSA Week 17
Ok guys, this is the final count down. Third to last share of the season!
This week we're harvesting:
Starfruit
Beets
Lettuce mix
Corn
Green beans
Tomatoes
Large shares also get:
Daikon radish
Rapini
The starfruit in your share this week comes from a beautiful family farm down in the Redlands, LNB Groves. Their 15 acre grove is certified organic and is being managed by the second generation of the family. They grow a variety of tropical fruit including pineapples, passion fruit, mangoes, jack fruit and many more. The second generation managing the farm these days is doing a great job of shifting the focus from wholesale shipments to value added products sold directly to consumers at farmers markets; they make things like smoothies, dried fruit and juices.
Beets are an intense vegetable. They are loaded with sugars, they have so much pigment and they taste super earthy. You can store beets for months in your fridge so don't feel hurried to eat them this week. Most people think they need to be peeled, but I love to roast them whole and eat them cold with skin and all. Beets pair beautifully with cheese and herbs.
You guys, check out Heidi Swanson's recipe for Pomelo Green Beans. I love how simple it is and the idea of combining walnuts and garlic with barely cooked green beans. She describes a technique for making a dressing that involved lightly boiling garlic cloves and then mashing them in a mortal & pestle with walnuts and herbs and olive oil. Also, you may have a grapefruit left over from last week's share that you can use instead of pomelo!